Lottery funding could spur sporting success

Contrast this with Great Britain’s experience. In 1994 the then-government set up the National Lottery, and from the outset it was decreed that a proportion of its revenues would be channelled to worthy causes – community projects, the arts, heritage and “minority” sports that struggled to develop due to a lack of funding. Since then Britain has steadily progressed up the medals table, and it is currently occupying an unprecedented third place.

This could have been Thailand’s experience too if things had been handled differently. Amid some controversy, and objections from those who regarded such a scheme as immoral, the TRT government set up the two- and three-digit lottery scheme, and revenues were used, in part, to fund foreign scholarships for students from poorer backgrounds. However, this scheme fell foul of legal decisions and was cancelled by the Democrat-led government that came to power in 2008. Subsequent attempts to reinstate it have so far come to nothing.

It is to be hoped that the current government can persuade the objectors to think again, and then take on the vested interests of the powerful and influential “robber barons” of illegal gambling by reintroducing some form of national lottery. If properly controlled and administered (admittedly a big challenge) it would not only be Thai athletes who could benefit. There are many good causes out there that would welcome support from such a scheme.

Robin Grant

Bangkok